IN Angara village of Piro block in Bhojpur many dalits asserted for their claim for the land on 10 July and occupied a piece of land which was ordered to be distributed to them by the Patna High Court in 2008-9. This government land measuring 4 acres and 53 decimal was ordered by the court to be allotted to 98 dalit families within four months but the district administration continued defying the court order while the concerned families kept running from pillar to post for almost ten years.
By using different delaying tactics, the administration continued with this mockery of justice because the dominant castes and feudal forces never wanted to give away land to the dalit families, which by all legal means was theirs. The administration did not issue parcha (land titles) to 98 families, it also changed the land category to a general category. This was illegal but it took many years to dalit families to prove in the court a very apparent illegal deed of the administration.
In the mean time there have been some more governmental schemes for giving homestead land to dalit families under which block officials had to allot that land to same families but to no avail. The dalits of Angara remained landless without homesteads.
The CPIML came forward and declared that the said land will be given to those whom it belongs and set a date for 10 July 2019. The administration sensed the seriousness of the party’s pledge and asked party leaders for a meeting. On the other hand, feudal elements in the village began preparing themselves by announcing an open confrontation if dalits claim for the land. The party leaders attended the meeting called by officials including block officers, Dy SP and thana incharge, and found out that the purpose of the meeting apparently was to delay the matter. There was no willingness seen among the officials for implementing the court order.
The people gathered at the said land on 10 July as planned under the banner of the CPIML and bravely resisted feudal forces present at the site to prevent land seizure. The goons had to flee in face of people’s resistance and 98 families erected their shanties over that land.
This incident has given a new confidence among dalits in the village, and has at the same time also exposed anti-dalit anti-poor face of BJP-JDU government in Bihar. There are many lands in villages in Bihar which are government lands, besides public owned ponds, illegally occupied by upper caste feudals under political patronage. The CPIML has asked from the government to hand over such lands to poor and dalit families without any delay.
